It was on Friday 08th May 2020, as we sat together (Rev. Suzanne Donasho, Mamie Louise Ekoto Omadjela and Anthony Papana) discussing how to use TextIt messaging system for COVID-19 prevention with Rev. Neelley. During our sharing, she asked if we can find local donors to sponsor Harper Hill Global in the Central Congo area. That question was completely a motivation for Rev. Suzanne Donasho. We saw her staying quiet for a moment, and Mamie and Anthony failed to ask her what was going on.
In the night she called and said that “she has to start training even though there still no funds for it.” She decided to put hand on her “OWN POCKETS” to fund this first training. She gave money to Mamie Omadjela, then Mamie chose Anthony’s wife (Mitsha) to purchase items in the market. The following items were bought:
20 pieces of hand sanitizers
20 plastics of liquid soap
Mamie and Anthony invited the trainees in the area we live. We collected around 16 vulnerable women (Methodists and non-Methodists), young and old. That selection was well done.
As Mother’s Day was approaching, Rev. Suzanne proposed to have this training on Mother’s Day. The invited women came, sat and were trained. The training took place in Kinshasa, Ngaliema Commune, Musey Quarter around 4 O’clock pm. The training took almost 30 minutes.
The topics taught were:
The preventive measures taken by the government to fight against COVID-19, such as
How to wash hands? (using liquid soap and sanitizer, application, time to take when washing hands, the wiping.)
How to put on a mask, which type, which side to be used, how, when to touch it, how to wash it.
After the training, all the trainees were given 1 bottle of liquid soap and one bottle of hand sanitizer each.
Additionally, the Harper Hill Global Central Congo Episcopal area has around 312 people in Kinshasa City, the peripherals, and up country who received messages for COVID-19 prevention from our team. In return for the messages, we received appreciations and encouragements to continue the work. Some also requested mask material kits to prevent COVID-19. We are working hard as to impact on the ground so that this group will remain forever a way of sharing with people about all kinds of diseases and other helpful information in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Note: I’d like to give a special shout-out to TextIt, who provided tech support, encouragement and credits to do this lifesaving work. – Neelley